The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-05-06
WHAT WAS HE?
A Doubt as to the Honesty Of Lit
tie Filippo.

We had Just arrived in Rome. 1t
WAS ten o'clock at night. the rain was
coming down through the darkness
with gentle persistence, and Aunt Bet
+scy and felt Il bit homesick when we
walked out of the station and looked
about for somebody to carry cur
satchels There were cabs about, but
amt is '.frugally inclined" and as the
rooms we had engaged were only two
blocks down the broad Via Nazionale,
we had no thought more eNtravagant
than of engaging a tive-cent porter. for
onr bags were too heavy to carry while
holding oar umbrellas open.
But, owing to the Esteness of the
hour, or some other cause. the usual
crowd of official loiterers was absent,
and we stood under the doorway peer
ing into the night. feeling more forlorn
every second, and conscious of sur
prisingly little interest in the Baths of
Diocletian. whose crumbling arches
were dimly visible through the rain.
Suddenly there appeared before us a
scrap of humanity. who laid tiny
brown hand on my valisc, and proifer-
ed his services.
We could not understand what he
said, but pantomimc is the universal
language. and we knew perfectly well
what he meant.
Aunt Betsey said she thought he was
too small. The tortures which she in
flicted on the Italian language were
worthy only of the InGuisition, but our
little friend either anticipated the re-
mark, or had precocious intelligence,
for he vociferated an eager negative.
and, extending small arm, begged us
to feel of his muscle. repeating Forte,
signora!" with such honest and manly
-earnestness that Aunt Bctsey's heart
warmed. and she said: ''Well, all right!
Come along! 1t isn't very far, and
there doesn't seem to be anybody else. y
Her tongue was foreign, but not her
expression. He seized valise with
each hand and trotted of. looking alb
-surdly like one of the tiny donkeys
with tremendous panicrS, which we
often saw
ASK him how much?'' whispered.
Our one invariable rule being to make
bargain beforehand.
Stop" said Aunt Bctscy, imperi-
ously. "Qudnto costa?
His reply was full of sweet humility:
.'Any thing the signora pleascs."
He led the way. and we followed I'M
der our umbrellas; peeped from I'M
der. but saw nothing on either side bu,
tall mOdern-built houses and most pro-
sale shops.
Twas disappointed; l had expected
TO be thrilled; every one l had ever
read about was thrilled at the first
glimpse of the Eternal City: Twas sure
there had been great deception some.
where. and felt aggricved.
To be sure, it was like a dream fol-
me to be in r me Mt all; me. Lily Ann
Schocken, whose washed hair-ribbons
and patched shoes made me looked
down upon at school by Dollie English
-and her set; excluded from their par
ties. and cut at the Sunday-school
picnic.
The whole thing had been so sudden
that left home in a whirl of excite.
ment, which was only qucnched by sea
sickness.
Mother was braiding my hair one
Morning-it was dreadfully snarly. and
was making a good deal of fuss, when
Aunt Betsey. who called about once a
year. popped her head in at the door
and said: I'm going to Europe again
next week. and if you like, I'll take
Lily Ann along"
screamed and mother dropped the
comb.
IF you're going to act like that, YOU
can stay at home" said my aunt. seat.
ing herself composedly in the rocking.
chair.
Il don't know as l can spare my
: girl" sand mother, wistfully, hardly
liking to see me so wild to leave her.
Dear mother! l was only thinking how
the girls at school would be overpow-
erred. what airs would assume, what
frills / could put on! doubted if
would speak to Dollie English at all.
had called them ''stuck-up," but l in
tended to be ''stuck-up" myself now.
and l found it very agreeable feel
ing.
1 was thinking of these things as we
battered down the deserted street. past
-shops that looked as if they had about
cone customer year. and across door,
ways that opened into great melancholy
.eourt-yards.
AT length. We turned in at great
< doorway, mounted three flights of
broad stone steps. and Knocked at a
little dark door. The padrona. or the
landlady, with whom my aunt had
lodged five years before. was ELUSIVE
in her welcome; l was secretly amused
with the caresses she showered on my
somewhat starchy relative. never hav-
ing seen her kissed before. After q